Catherine (Gribble) Thomas (abt. 1802 - aft. 1851)

Born about 1802 in Camborne, Cornwall, England

Ancestors

Wife of John Thomas — married about 1824 (to about 1840) in Camborne, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Died after 1851 after about age 49 in Camborne, Cornwall, England [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ian Gribble [send private message]

Biography

By estimate Catherine was born about 1802. She is the daughter of Arthur Gribble and Mary Doble. ^[1]

Her father's will is revealing:

Also I give unto Mary my dearly beloved wife whom I hereby constitute make and ordain the sole executrix of this my last will and testament all and singular my lands messuage tenements goods chattles and effects by her freely to be possessed and enjoyed during all the time my said wife shall remain a I give devise and disperse of the same in the following manner and form Or at the decease Mary my wife I do likewise give my lands tenements Goods Chattles and Effects unto my two children Catherine and James fully to be possessed and enjoyed by them or to the survivor of them And if Mary my said wife should happen to marry again then and at that time I give all my lands Messuage Tenements Goods Chattles and Effects unto my two children Catherine and James to be equally divided between both or to the survivor of them they be he or her only paying unto ^[2]

Three surveys of the leases owned by the Bassetts at Little Tehidy begin in 1774 and reveal that Arthur Gribble of Camborne Yeo lived extensively at Carn Entrall a mile to the west of Camborne. Carn Entral is situated on the south slope of the rise behind Newton Moor.^[3]

Carn Entral is just a mile north from the Gribble stronghold of Bolenowe Moor and closely proximate to Brea where there is property mentioned in William Gribble’s [his grandson] will. Perhaps it is the same land or one of the other messuages mentioned in Arthur’s own will.^[4]

In 1802 a Bassett Lease Survey revealed Arthur, now aged 62, living in a recently built cottage with croft and still on 3 acres now called Downs Close in Camborne. ^[5] He was living there with wife Mary [41] and daughters Mary [3] and Catherine [9 months]. Mary was soon to die.

But Mary’s and Catherine’s presence and ages further confirm previous conclusions. ^[6]

Curiously Catherine is not listed in the parish baptismal register. Perhaps there was a registration error listing her father’s name instead of hers, hence the presence of the second Arthur in the parish register. ^[7]

His will, ^[8] ascribes Arthur as holding possession of a number of messuages [substantial houses]. Various property records further support this claim and because each lists those living in the house, they further help our claims about his second marriage to Mary.

Arthur’s wife Mary [Doble] was still alive, aged 56 at the time of his death.

She was not present in the cottage at Carn Entral in 1815; neither was 16 year old Catherine. By later naming both as his beneficiaries, Arthur confirms their existence. Perhaps mother and daughter may have been visiting or were occupied away from the house at the time of the survey. After all it was a survey of leases on the Bassett estate and not a census of people.

Catherine did not marry until she was 22 years old; nevertheless her absence was unexceptional at the time of the census because young girls often became servants to people who could afford to employ them. ^[9]

There is a marriage at Camborne between a Catherine Gribble, spinster, and John Thomas, miner, bachelor by banns. The witnesses were John nicholas and Joseph Warner. The bride and groom signed their names showing that they were literate.^[10]

Catherine married a John Thomas in 1821 according to the parish Marriage Register and ^[11]

The census ^[12] describes Catherine Gribble, now Catherine Thomas as living at 1 ‘Entral’ with her children Joseph 20, Catherine 15, Eliza 12, Susan 10 and Hannah 5. Could this be the old family home?

John Thomas was either absent or deceased. Also living with her is Mary Gribble her mother now aged 80 years, an age that corresponds perfectly with her calculated date of birth of 1761.

The 1851 Census then records Catherine Thomas, housewife 50 now living at nearby 5 Pengegon Moor with Joseph 29, tin miner, born Camborne; Eliza 22, dress maker, born Illogan; Anna 19, tailor, born Camborne and most surprisingly Mary Gribble, relative, now 90 born Newlyn East, Cornwall. ^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ International Genealogical Index.
2. ↑ Wills and Probates; Public Records
3. ↑ Tehidy Land Records
4. ↑ Gribble Ian
5. ↑ Bassett Land Records
6. ↑ Gribble Ian
7. ↑ Gribble Ian
8. ↑ Wills and Probates; Public Records
9. ↑ Gribble Ian
10. ↑ Registers: St Martins Church of England
11. ↑ International Genealogical Index
12. ↑ Census 1841
13. ↑ Census 1851

1. Gribble Ian: "Flash in the Pan" A History of the Camborne Gribbles; Self Published; 1 Jan 2008; ISBN: 978- 0 - 9803307 -1-7

2. “International Genealogical Index”; Church of the Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

3.Walker M. research;Probates and Wills. British government Cornwall Public Register Office at Truro

4. 1841 Census: England and Wales ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQYY-FSW : 13 December 2017), Catherine Thomas, Camborne, Cornwall, England; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

5. 1851 Census: England

6. Registers: St Martins Church of England , Camborne

7. Tehidy Land Records; Cornwall Historical Society; Researched by Marion Walker .

8. Wills and Probates; Public Records, England [Cornwall Historical Society]

9. British Government; Census 1841 and 1851;

10. "Bassett Land Records [Assorted]" Cornwall Historical Society; Researched by Marion Walker .